[ action // accidental video ]

[bookbending]

[The video opens to a view of the fountain and a small pair of feet clad in unusual, tight-fitting red boots. The audio feed is little more than the buzz of many voices overlapping, words lost in the crowd.

The little feet shift, pace, and occasionally vanish out of sight. After a time, the owner of the feet sits on the fountain's edge, coming into view. She's young and petite; her billowing outfit, tied at the waist, is all subdued red-browns and yellows. Her dark brown hair is pulled into an off-center bun.

The girl looks around with wide brown eyes. It's clear that she's surprised and nervous and very possibly overwhelmed by the busy City Square, but there's no panic or jitteriness in her movements. With an air of calm grace, she draws her legs up and settles into a meditative position.]

I wish I had brought a book.

[Her eyes close. The feed times out long before she moves.]


[ooc: Er... this does not happen at the same time as the goat-slaughtering post.]

Comments

[spiderkid]

Seriously? [ He hops down beside her and picks it up. ]

It's a cell phone. You can make calls or videos, and then somebody else, or, if you want, the whole City, can see and hear it.

[ He holds it at arms length so the two of them are in view, and presses record. ]

Hey there, City, Spider-Man here with my new friend... [ waiting expectantly for a name ]

[bookbending]

[She pays very close attention (never mind that she doesn't know what a video is). When he holds the phone up, she looks at it.]

Jinora.

[It's weird talking to a box--no, phone. She talks to her new friend instead.]

You don't look like a spider.

[spiderkid]

My new friend Jinora, and we're looking for the address of a library! Thanks! [ He signs off before addressing Jinora. ]

Well, no, I'm Spider-Man. Not just a spider.

[bookbending]

Oh, like a spider cat! [She looks at him thoughtfully.] You look a lot more like a boy than a spider.

[spiderkid]

Like a what now?

I am a boy. Er, a man. A guy. A person!

[bookbending]

A spider cat. They have six eyes and eight legs and two ears and they're rare.

[She's fascinated. Even if he's not part spider, boy-man-guy-perons are relatively new and exciting.]

How old are you?

[spiderkid]

They sound rare.

[ He bristles. ] That's... classified.

[bookbending]

But I thought we were friends, Spider Man.

[spiderkid]

Yeah, but y'see, there's stuff about me, like who I really am under the mask, that's gotta stay a secret.

[bookbending]

So you're my friend when you're dressed like that, but you're not my friend the rest of the time.

[She's both disappointed and weirded out. He'd better not be evil like Amon. Or are all people who wear masks evil?]

[spiderkid]

I'll... [ She's just a kid, right? What harm could she do? ]

I'll tell you if you promise not to tell anyone else.

[bookbending]

[She becomes very serious.]

I promise I'll never tell anyone.

[spiderkid]

Okay. I'm really thirteen. And my name is Miles.

[bookbending]

[She stands, puts her hands together, and bows solemnly.]

Thank you for telling me your secret... and for letting me be friends with Spider Man and Miles.

[spiderkid]

[ We're bowing now? Uh, okay. ] No problem. Just, when you see me like this, call me Spider-Man, and when you see me like [ He takes off his mask only just long enough for her to see his face. ] this, then you can call me Miles. Don't get the two mixed up.

[bookbending]

[It's a cultural thing. You're welcome, Miles.]

I won't.

[spiderkid]

Cool. Thanks.

So... about that library.

[bookbending]

Oh, right. How do I find it, Spider-Man?

[spiderkid]

Well, [ Miles picks up her phone again, scrolling through the responses. ] this guy said it's only a block from the police station. I know where that is, I could take you.

[bookbending]

You could? [She's torn. Her dad said she should stay in one place if she ever gets lost. On the other hand, library. It can't hurt to look.]

I'd like that, if you're not too busy.

[spiderkid]

Nope! That's what I came out here to do-- help people.

Now, the only question is: do you want to take the boring way? [ He mimes walking with his fingers. ] Or the fun way?

[ He shoots a string of web at a nearby lamp post, pulling it and swinging up and around to land on top of it. ]

[bookbending]

[That is cool. She jumps and, with the aid of a little airbending push, perches next to him.]

The fun way.

[spiderkid]

[ He's almost-- almost startled off his perch. ] Sweet! I was going to just carry you, but if you think you can keep up...

Let's go! [ And he's off, swinging to the nearest rooftop before turning to make sure Jinora's following. ]

[bookbending]

Don't worry, I can.

[She follows Miles Spider-Man, using a combination of light-footed leaps and air manipulation.]

[spiderkid]

[ Laughing, Miles leads the way to the roof of the police station. It's one of the first places he looked up when he got here, so he knows the way easily. From there, he looks around until he spots the library. ]

There it is!